One function of a stylet is to facilitate the navigation of a catheter, cannula, hollow needle, or the like within a select portion of a patient, such as within a patient's vasculature, by providing (i.e., imparting) rigidity or stiffness to the catheter. For example, a stylet may comprise a slender, solid, and/or hollow metal member that, when positioned within a lumen of a catheter, stiffens the catheter sufficiently to allow for placement of the catheter within the patient.